Diplomacy
by glitterburn
Summary: Eclipse/Raenef. When Raenef returns from a meeting with the elves, something is different. Eclipse must face up to his jealousy and admit the truth of his feelings at long last…
1. Chapter 1

**Diplomacy**

The Crusader at the castle gate roared.

Eclipse lifted his head, recognising the note of welcome rather than challenge in the beast's voice. Master Raenef had returned.

He offered hurried thanks to the Elder Ones and swung himself down from the balustrade. His sandals slapped against the stone floors of the corridors as he all but ran to the entrance hall. As he went, Eclipse took stock of how clean the castle looked. Not that Raenef ever noticed things like untidiness – indeed, his young master still believed that there were certain sprites who picked up discarded garments before washing, ironing, folding and putting them away in cupboards – but he couldn't take Raenef's attitude for granted.

Not after he'd been away visiting the elves for the past three months. Eclipse's mouth tightened. Elves were fussy creatures, despite the fact that they lived in the forest. They liked things to be neat and tidy, and abhorred waste of any kind. Under other circumstances, he would have sent Raenef to the elves long ago to learn the benefits of being a house-proud demon lord, but the occasion had not lent itself.

Still, he wondered how his master had fared amongst the elves. Eclipse had missed Raenef with a hunger that terrified him. He'd thought it was a good idea that they should be parted for a while, but he hadn't realised it would be for so long. A month he could take. Three months was too long without him.

He slowed his pace to a walk and stepped into the entrance hall. He'd wanted to present his lord with a calm, unaffected expression, but Eclipse couldn't help but smile at the slender, dusty figure standing in the middle of the hall.

Demon Lord Raenef V was swamped by the layers of cloth wrapped around him. Dressed as a nomad, he resembled a ragtag collection of linen and cotton in varying shades of filth and grime, fastened together with a sackcloth sash. As Eclipse came further into the hall, Raenef's attention was wholly given to untying the sash that held his disguise together.

"Let me do that, my lord."

Eclipse automatically moved to assist him, his fingers quick and deft. He unpicked the knots from the sash and shook it free, unravelling Raenef from the cloth.

He expected a giggle or some silly remark, but Raenef was silent, not even offering a greeting or a 'thank you' to his servant.

Eclipse straightened up, still holding one end of the sash. The fabric was coarse and gritty. He felt a flash of annoyance that his lord had worn such a poor outfit. Raenef's skin was delicate and soft, deserving of the finest silks and satins. The nomad's clothes were not fitting for a demon lord, not even for a disguise. Eclipse swallowed his desire to order Raenef into the bath at once. He couldn't wait to get rid of these ugly, offensive clothes.

Lord Raenef said nothing. He continued to remove the outer layers of his clothes, revealing the coltish body beneath. Eclipse stared at him, looked away, and then stared again, narrowing his gaze to observe his master from a purely disinterested perspective.

His hair gleamed like a pale, dusty star; streaks of his fringe bleached white by the sun. The length of it was caught up in the usual high ponytail, tendrils working free to straggle over his shoulders and frame his face. He had a slight tan, his southern skin darkened to the colour of old gold.

To Eclipse it looked like grime from the road, and he longed to rub at Raenef's face with a damp flannel, to uncover his master from this hollow-eyed stranger who stood in his place.

"You've lost weight," he said gently. "Did the elves not feed you, my lord? Or was it that their food was not to your taste?"

"They don't cook as well as you do, Eclipse."

It was a small comment, but the words glowed like the highest praise. Eclipse smiled, coming forward to collect the rest of the garments that Raenef dropped onto the floor. "Then perhaps you will permit me to make your favourite food this evening," he said. "Everything is prepared. You need only say the word."

He wasn't going to say that he'd made a fresh batch of sugar-cakes every few days in the hope that Raenef would be back in time to eat them. He'd lost count of how many of the intricate balls of spun sugar he'd fed to the Crusaders or thrown into the moat. He tried not to think about it.

"Thanks, but I'm not very hungry."

Eclipse almost dropped the dusty clothes. Raenef was always hungry. One of the first things he'd asked on being told that he was a demon lord with a vast domain was, 'Is there food available in this domain place?' That's when Eclipse had known that his new master was a survivor, despite his youth and inexperience, his beauty and his innocence.

So for Raenef to push aside the suggestion of food now… He took a tighter grip on the discarded garments and followed him through the hall, suddenly aware of the fact that his lord hadn't yet looked at him.

"Master Raenef! Master…?"

Eclipse didn't need to use their telepathic link to read Raenef's mood. His shoulders hunched and his face averted, his master sidled past, looking for all the world like a servant rather than a demon lord.

"Lord Raenef?" Eclipse raised his voice, hearing the echo bounce from the high walls. He saw his lord wince, as if hemmed in by the sound, and with a muffled curse he tucked the clothes beneath one arm, reaching out for Raenef with his free hand. "My lord, are you well?"

"Yes. Thank you."

Raenef sounded anything but well. He sounded upset.

Eclipse frowned. There could only be one cause of his master's distress. "And the meeting with the elves – how did it go?"

His lord shook his head, hair falling into his eyes to hide his expression. "Not now, Eclipse. I'm – I'm tired."

At last Raenef turned to him, offering a half-hearted smile so unlike his usual self that Eclipse felt dread gather around his soul. Trying to keep things normal, he asked, "If you're not hungry, then are you thirsty? I can bring you a cup of hot milk…"

Eclipse ran to a halt as he heard the mothering note in his voice. Master Raenef was no longer a child. At nineteen he had lost the awkwardness of youth from his body, but until he had gone beyond Hangma to visit the elves, his mind had still dipped towards the childlike playfulness that Eclipse had come to know and love.

Now it seemed that even that had vanished, replaced by a cold, weary lord who wouldn't even look at his most devoted servant.

"No," said Raenef. "No milk. I just want to go to bed."

"I will…"

"You don't need to tuck me in, Eclipse. I'm not a child any more."

With a pang of regret, Eclipse realised that Raenef had read his mind. He bowed his head, apologising silently, but received no reply. Shielding his innermost thoughts, he decided to let his young master retire to bed. He would check on him later, when Raenef was asleep.

"And you don't need to do that, either," Raenef said, looking back at him over his shoulder. This time his smile, though tired, was genuine.

Eclipse gazed at him. "My lord, you shouldn't be able to do that. I didn't teach you how to probe the inner mind…"

Raenef's smile faded. "I learned a few things from the elves."

"You did?"

"Yes." The smile was replaced with a look of twisted grief, and then Raenef turned away. His voice wobbled, and his fists clenched as he brought himself under control. "Good night, Eclipse. Thanks for – for waiting for me."

With that, Raenef hurried from the hall, going halfway down the corridor before he remembered to spell-cast himself to his room.

Eclipse stared after him, astonished and troubled. "Of course I'll wait for you," he said softly. "I promised to stay with you forever. Oh, Master Raenef, what did those vile elves do to you?"

He would have no answers tonight. With a sniff of disgust, he realised he was still holding onto the dirty clothes. Eclipse dropped them onto the floor, sending a fire-spell after them to obliterate the garments into ashes. The stench of burning sackcloth filled the air.

He made to brush his hands together, only to find that the filth of the northern wastelands had stained his fingers.


	2. Chapter 2

_Three months previously…_

The letter was delivered by a kreel, a wyrm-like creature with tiny wings and a ferocious temper disproportionate to its size. It materialised out of the air one morning and hovered over the table set out on the balcony, shrieking to attract their attention.

Raenef had been staring blankly at yet another book of lore, his sighs stirring his long fringe. Eclipse leant against the balustrade nearby, pretending to ignore his master's obvious boredom. It was rapidly becoming a trial for them both, and so the appearance of the kreel was a welcome one.

"Eclipse! What is that thing?" Raenef rocked back in his chair, startled by the creature's sudden arrival. His cry caused the kreel to backwing inelegantly, and it dropped down onto the table to land in a plate of sugar-cakes.

Eclipse was not best pleased to see last night's baking efforts go to waste on a wyrm. The cakes were a blatant bribe for Raenef to finish the chapter on demon hierarchy in the sixth century, a time when much of the standard demon lore had been gathered and ratified. Somehow the sight of a glistening mountain of golden and white spun crystals filled with sweetmeats wasn't as appealing when a kreel was thrashing around on top of it.

The kreel freed itself from the mass of confection. It rolled across the table like an ouroboros; then spat out a tiny puff of smoke as it took the end of its tail from its mouth.

"You don't recognise this animal, Master Raenef?" Eclipse allowed a sigh of his own to creep into his voice. "We covered bestiaries, flora and fauna three years ago… although I recall you were more interested in pictures of flowers than in the creatures of darkness who owe their allegiance to you."

Raenef smiled. "Oh, yes, I remember the flowers!"

Eclipse brushed back a strand of hair and came towards the table. He held out his hand to the kreel, which looked with some disdain between master and servant.

_Demon Lord Raenef V?_ it said, or rather, thought at him.

Eclipse stifled another sigh and pointed it in the right direction. "Over there," he said. He took the opportunity to remind his lord what manner of beast stood in front of them. "This is a kreel. An animal found only in the extreme north-east of the country and domesticated – if that is indeed the correct word for it – by the elves."

Raenef's puzzled expression cleared in an instant. "Yes, I remember now! The cute little elf messengers!"

Although the kreel seemed as taken aback by this description as Eclipse, the demon was pleased to see that it continued with its mission. Raising itself onto its back legs, it flapped its miniscule wings for balance and struck an impressive pose.

_Demon Lord Raenef V, I bring you greetings from Ophion, King of the Elves,_ it announced in an overly loud thought. Eclipse watched Raenef wince, and he gestured to the kreel to turn it down a little.

The kreel nodded and tried again, quieter this time. _Being desirous of improved relations between our peoples, I extend to you on behalf of King Ophion an invitation. His Majesty requests – nay, implores – that you attend a meeting with himself and the High Elvin Court. At this meeting you will learn things to your advantage, things that will raise your power and your profile immeasurably: not just amongst the demon lords but amongst all creatures and races of our world…_

Eclipse narrowed his eyes and stared hard at the kreel, trying to penetrate its tiny brain for any traces of irony. But there was nothing: hardly surprising, for kreels were on the whole simple-minded beasts that could concentrate on one message at a time. There was no room in their heads for deeper knowledge, which made them the perfect messengers. Kreels asked no questions and knew no answers; and if the message they delivered was not to the recipient's taste, then they were ultimately expendable.

He focused again on what the creature was saying, conscious of Raenef's expression. His lord seemed impressed by the message and its form of delivery. Eclipse couldn't help but think that this was a bad thing.

_O great Demon Lord Raenef V, my king respectfully begs that you agree to this momentous meeting. Not for nearly two hundred years has an elf sought an audience with a demon lord…_

Eclipse couldn't stop himself. "Why does Ophion want to meet Raenef?"

The kreel snorted another puff of smoke, annoyed at the interruption. _How should I know?_ _Let me get on with my job, please. Where was I? Ah, yes – two hundred years, audience with a demon lord… Therefore,_ the kreel continued, _King Ophion invites you to the Forest of Elves as soon as may be convenient to you, and he will summon the High Elvin Council._

The kreel bowed to indicate that it had finished its speech, and then it added, _You may use me to send your reply to the king, when you're ready._

Raenef was silent for a moment, and then he looked up, his gaze uncertain.

Anticipating the question, Eclipse asked, "Yes, master?"

"What should I do?"

Eclipse grimaced. It wasn't right that they should have a politically sensitive discussion in front of a kreel. Although they were loyal to the elves, kreels had a tendency to be loose-tongued after a few drops of nectar.

"I think the kreel should join our Crusaders," Eclipse said. "Let him rest and feed a while, so he will be ready to take your message to the elves."

The kreel arched its neck to look at him with interest. _The servant dictates to the master? How fascinating_.

"Eclipse is my most trusted advisor," Raenef said stiffly. "You will accord him the same respect as me while you are here."

_Eclipse?_ The kreel's triple-lidded eyes opened wide, glowing orange with alarm, and its tail flicked nervously. _I did not realise – I was not told… Forgive my impudence…_

Raenef huffed and waved his hand dismissively. "Join the Crusaders. Go."

The kreel vanished.

"Now you may tell me what to do."

Eclipse laid a finger on the open pages of the book, marking their place, and then he closed it. "Not here. Let us go inside, where we may be assured of silence and a little more privacy. Kreels have very good hearing."

He tucked the book under his arm and led the way through the colonnaded corridors to the library. Eclipse held open the door for his lord, casting a sealing-spell as soon as they were both inside. He would take no risks with this discussion. For the king of the elves to approach a demon lord was unthinkable. If there was really something to be gained from such a union, Ophion would be better contacting Aureleid, the most senior of the demon lords. Why would he choose the young and relatively untried Raenef?

"Eclipse? What should I do?"

When he saw that Raenef was looking at him expectantly, Eclipse put the book on the shelf, keeping his vexation in check.

"My lord, you should not defer to me so openly in public," he began. "We have discussed this many times. I am not your equal in power or social standing…"

"But you are my teacher and advisor," Raenef interrupted, his mouth set in a stubborn line. "That makes you worthy of respect. Besides, you are the fourth-ranking demon in existence, and your reputation…"

"My reputation is nothing compared to yours." Eclipse came close and set his hands on his lord's shoulders. He felt a tremor run through the slender body beneath his touch, and assumed that Raenef was annoyed with this old argument. He let go, and heard him sigh.

"Please, Master Raenef – you are nineteen now," Eclipse said. "I have served you for four years. You are fully aware of your powers, even if you haven't yet learned how to harness them completely. You have the gifts and abilities of the previous Raenef demon lords, and you will outlive them all, I am certain of it. The only thing necessary is that you continue your studies."

"But that's boring," Raenef complained.

"But necessary." Eclipse let his voice take on an edge, and then he smiled, seeing the chance for revision. "This invitation from the elves, for example. What do we know of the elves?"

Raenef flopped down into a wingchair and stared at the wall of books in front of him. Curling a strand of hair around a finger, he recited as if reading from an encyclopaedia: "They live in the great north-eastern forest. Much of their wealth comes from the timber trade. They were granted the rights to manage the forests and care for the dryads and other woodland Fae. Some humans consider this unfair, and in the past have demanded the right to cut down any tree in any forest, whether it be in the dominion of the elves or not. There was a war about this in… a long time ago…"

"Five hundred years ago," Eclipse corrected. "The Timber War! And who ended this war?"

Raenef rolled his eyes. "The clerics of Rased. I remember that one, because Chris used to go on about it all the time. He got upset when I asked him if that was the last greatest thing the clerics had ever done."

Eclipse nodded. "It was, although they were not popular with the rest of the humans for several years afterwards. For some reason, the clerics sided with the elves. The Treaty of Lingeth stands to this day, giving the elves complete control over the timber trade, and the ability to fix prices as they please."

"That doesn't seem fair." Raenef puzzled over it for a moment, and then shrugged. "Thankfully the castle is made of stone, although the furniture is wooden… Did my predecessors deal with the elves when they wanted this furniture?"

Eclipse rubbed his forehead, unsurprised by the meandering thoughts of his master. "Er, no. Inasmuch as I can remember, the library was fitted out by Raenef II. He destroyed a weaker demon lord just to get his hands on the contents of his castle – including this furniture."

"Oh."

"Never mind. Let us return to what we know of the elves."

Raenef gave a huge sigh and sank down further in his chair. "They have a hereditary royalty, drawn from the intermarriage of several elf-tribes. They're supposed to be gentle people, but some humans in the borderlands disagree, and…"

"They're vicious enemies," Eclipse put in, softly.

"They… what?" Raenef sat up, the lesson forgotten, and stared at him. "They are? How do you know? Did you fight against the elves?"

"I've fought with almost everything that lives on the face of the earth," Eclipse said, forcing a rueful smile. "And also the creatures that live beneath the earth and that swim in the seas… You know my past, Master Raenef. It is not pretty, and I have never hidden it from you."

"And yet you have never really told me about the things you've done."

"It has no relevance to our relationship."

Raenef held his gaze. "You always said I was too young to understand," he said, lifting his chin with a hint of command. "Well, perhaps now I am not too young. Perhaps I want to know of your history."

Eclipse did not want this conversation to continue. He looked away with barely concealed impatience. "Let us discuss the invitation from King Ophion."

Raenef wriggled around in the chair to stare at his servant again. "Changing the subject, Eclipse? That's not like you."

"I do not wish to talk about my past. It has no bearing upon anything, save perhaps for one minor point in this current situation."

"Oh, really," Raenef said smoothly. "What is it?"

Eclipse tugged at the gold earring of the crescent moon that dangled from his right ear. For the first time he felt uncomfortable before his lord. He became aware of his fidgeting and stopped before he replied, "The elves have a bounty on my head."

A silence fell, so deep that Eclipse resumed fiddling with his earring. The gold hoop chafed at his ear until he let go with a snort of annoyance for his weakness. He had no need to feel ashamed of what he'd done. Everything in his past had happened for a reason. A demon did not need to explain himself – not even to his lord…

"What did you do to make them hate you?"

The question was soft. Eclipse looked at Raenef. Without any emotion, he said, "I killed their previous king, along with most of the court members and the High Elvin Council who'd remained with him during the Hangma War."

Raenef stared at him. "The elves declared themselves neutral during the war."

"They were not neutral. Elves are unpleasant, selfish creatures that work only for their own benefit. By declaring themselves neutral they were free to pick off whomever they pleased – demon, cleric, or god. No matter what their standing, if a combatant crossed into elf territory, or even wandered close to the border, they were seized, robbed of their wealth and power, and then killed."

"You really don't like them."

"No, my lord. I despise the elves."

Another moment of silence, and then Raenef stood up, pushing back his chair. It scraped across the floor, almost tipping over, but he caught it before it fell. Folding his arms, Raenef moved towards the windows, away from the shadows, away from Eclipse.

"If you despise them, then you cannot give me unbiased advice."

"No, my lord. But I can put aside my prejudices and offer you counsel. I dislike humans, and yet I dealt reasonably well with Erutis and Chris."

"Dislike and despise are two different things."

Eclipse had to own to the truth of that. He shrugged. "You can make your own decisions, Lord Raenef. You are old enough."

His master gave him an uncertain, shy look. At other times, it was the kind of look that melted Eclipse, but this time he had to be strong. This business with the elves had been given to Raenef to decide on his own. Eclipse knew he should not interfere.

Raenef chewed at a nail. "What if… what if the elf-king seeks an audience with me because of you? What if he demands a blood-price for the previous king?"

"He should be grateful," Eclipse snapped. "If it hadn't been for me, Ophion would still be a minor princeling. He was one hundred and fourteenth in line for the throne. Only by a miracle would he have become king, had I not intervened."

"You really think he should be grateful?"

"No. I don't think he should feel anything towards me." Eclipse lifted his hands, wishing – and not for the first time – that Raenef would stop taking his words so literally. He fixed his master with his most imposing gaze and said, "Your business with the elves is your concern, my lord. I beg you will excuse me from accompanying you, should you decide to travel to their forest. I may be the fourth most powerful demon in existence, but only a fool would go willingly into enemy territory – and may I remind you that elf-magic can be very hazardous to a demon's health."

"What if I order you to come with me?" Raenef's eyes were wide.

"Then I would obey you, of course. But I would do so unhappily."

His shoulders slumped. "I don't want to make you unhappy, Eclipse. But… I don't want to go to see the elves on my own."

"Master Raenef, I believe King Ophion is testing you. The elves do not treat with demons unless there is very good reason for them to do so. I am not arrogant enough to imagine that I am the cause of this request for a meeting, so it would serve no purpose to take me with you. Indeed, it might work against you."

"So you think I should go."

"Only if you wish it. You do not owe them anything. Your lands do not border theirs, and you don't need any new furniture. And yet they seem to believe that you can help them, and that they can help you… I admit I am intrigued by this."

Raenef nodded slowly. "If you were me…"

"But I am not, Master Raenef." Eclipse paused, knowing he wanted the answer anyway. "Very well. If I were you, I would go. But I would be careful."

"I'm always careful!"

Eclipse tried not to smile. "My lord, if you go, then you should study the art of diplomacy. That, more than anything else, will keep you safe. Not the Dark Arrow, or the Soul Scream, but simple diplomacy. It's about time you learned that aspect of your duties as a demon lord."

"Diplomacy." Raenef weighed the word. "It sounds boring."

"It doesn't have to be. You'll see. You might even enjoy it. Your predecessor…" Eclipse lapsed into silence before he could say anything else.

Raenef gave him a puzzled glance. "My father…?" he prompted; but when he saw that Eclipse would say no more, he straightened his shoulders and dismissed the thought.

"Summon the messenger," he said. "I will accept Ophion's invitation."


	3. Chapter 3

It was a strange homecoming. Raenef slept for most of the following day, barely stirring whenever Eclipse ventured into his room to watch over him. Usually his master rolled back and forth across the expanse of the bed, tangling the sheets and knocking pillows and cushions to the floor. Usually he would feel Eclipse's presence on some unconscious level, and he would reach out to catch hold of his servant's long black hair, forcing Eclipse to remain by his side for long hours.

But the day after he returned from the elves, Raenef lay curled facing the window, the covers drawn tight over him, his chin tucked to his chest. Eclipse could see only the top of his head, and when he tried to draw down the sheet to look at his face, Raenef clutched the covers tighter.

Eclipse couldn't dismiss the feeling that his master was hiding from him. His concern blossomed into worry, and it was all he could do to keep from shaking Raenef awake and demanding to know what had happened in the forest.

He went for a walk in the garden, hoping to find distraction. A clump of brambles scratched at his ankles, and he spent a few hours tying back the prickly branches in case Raenef should venture the same way later. He supposed he could have used magic to shrivel the thorns, but Eclipse preferred to do the work with his own hands. The sharp rasp of the brambles over his skin reminded him of time passing, of pain and humanity, things that had never before concerned him.

When the sun had set and the breeze veered from the north-east, Eclipse got to his feet. His body felt stiff. While he was used to manual labour, it had been a while since he'd spent so long crouched in the same position. He stretched gently, feeling the ache of bunched muscles. He had leaves and dust in the trailing ends of his hair. He had not thought to tie it up as he worked.

Eclipse went into the castle. He needed to bathe, but first he would check on his lord. To his surprise, when he reached the top of the staircase, he found the door to Raenef's room wide open. His master was not inside; the sheets had been kicked back and his nightshirt lay at the foot of the bed.

It did not take long to find him. The castle was large, but cold. It was simple enough to find the heart that beat inside it. Raenef was the only warmth in the fortress, and Eclipse was drawn to him through empty corridors and echoing halls. He followed his presence up the stairs in the old tower, and finally tracked him down to a tiny sitting room that in the time of Raenef II had been used by the lord's seamstress.

Raenef was curled into a wingchair, a blanket wrapped around him. He did not look up as Eclipse entered the room, but continued to stare at the flames that danced, low and subtle, in the fireplace.

Eclipse closed the door quietly behind him, and then he sat down on a footstool, away from the heat of the fire. He placed his hands on his knees and looked at them, at the faint red scratches of the brambles. He moved his arms so that his sleeves slid down to cover the damage.

Raenef gave no sign of acknowledging him. Eclipse did not know what to say to break the silence between them, and so he said nothing. He had never felt so helpless before. He was known everywhere as a wise and noble demon, and yet since Raenef V had come into his life, he had felt himself altered. He'd tried to adapt himself, but this new shift in the balance of their relationship unnerved him.

Suddenly, Raenef spoke.

"You told me once that you despised the elves."

"Yes."

"Or is it that you're afraid of them?"

Eclipse paused. "Master Raenef, what happened? Since you came back, you seem… different."

"I feel different," Raenef said, his lips curving in a small smile. "I always thought nothing would change. That my life would stay on one course, that I'd be happy and safe… but that isn't the way of a demon lord, is it?"

"No, master. It isn't."

Raenef lowered his head and played with a loose thread on the blanket. He refused to look in his servant's direction.

"It's not your fault, Eclipse. You told me plenty of times that things would be different one day. But even when Chris and Erutis moved out, I still felt safe – because of you."

"I will always keep you safe, my lord."

"But you can't." Raenef's voice cracked. His hands stilled on the blanket.

Eclipse sat forwards, alarmed and angry. "What did the elves do to you?"

"Nothing." Raenef put a hand to his head, a weary gesture. He tried another smile. "Truly, Eclipse – they didn't hurt me. They gave me all the respect I could wish for. They listened to me as if I were an equal. An adult. A true demon lord."

"You are a true demon lord."

The hand dropped, and Raenef met Eclipse's gaze. His green eyes were veiled with layers of an emotion the demon couldn't understand.

"But I am not the equal of a king. I am not really an adult yet."

Eclipse thought about this. "You think I have been too gentle with you."

"I think that, sometimes, you have not been truthful with me."

Confused, Eclipse said, "I have never lied to you, Master Raenef."

His lord closed his eyes and shook his head. "That is not what I meant."

"Then I… I don't understand."

Raenef did nothing to illuminate him. They sat in an ever-deepening silence until a branch in the fire cracked, sending up a brief shower of sparks. The sound made Eclipse jump, and Raenef sighed.

"I should tell you what we discussed." Raenef settled into his chair, resting his head against the winged seatback. "There's a renegade tribe of elves roaming the northern coast. They speak a different language, but they seem to understand what the forest elves say to them. They're much more violent, and have destroyed several villages and outposts. So far they seem to be causing trouble just for the fun of it. They seem to have no greater purpose in mind."

"Elves never do anything without a reason. Even renegade elves," Eclipse said wryly. "What does the king say about this?"

"Ophion doesn't know where they came from, but the court historian believes that they are the descendants of the original Elvin royal family."

"I have heard of these elves," Eclipse said, frowning as he tried to remember the details of the ancient story. "Centuries ago, the heir to the throne was accused of high treason. I think his name was Gelanor…"

Raenef nodded. "Yes. Gelanor. That's the one."

"If this is the same story, then rather than execute his favourite son, the king exiled him from the lands of the elves. Gelanor's enemies sent assassins after him, but they could not find him. Eventually it was reported that the prince was dead."

"But he wasn't," Raenef interrupted, taking up the tale. "He sent a message to his father saying he would not return home again even though he had proof of his innocence. He said that he'd found a new land, and that he and his loyal followers who'd gone with him into exile were happy to build a new life for themselves there."

Raenef paused, looking up at Eclipse with the first real flicker of interest he'd shown since he returned. "Is it true there's a land beyond the Northern Ocean?"

"Yes." Eclipse held his gaze. "I went there once, a long time ago."

"What's it like?"

He'd tried to forget the place: a hell of mist-shrouded jungle and deep, sucking red mud, where the rivers ran salty for miles inland and enormous insects nipped at every inch of exposed flesh. His powers there were greatly diminished, but neither he nor his master, the last Demon Lord Llath, had been able to discover why the new land made them so weak.

"It's wet," he said at last, realising that Raenef was waiting for an answer.

"Wet?"

Eclipse closed his eyes, unwilling to discuss the topic further. When he opened them again, he saw Raenef looking at him with something akin to sympathy. He wondered if Ophion had told Raenef more than he'd let on. Only very few of the elves had known about the disastrous journey of Demon Lord Llath, for it was at the request of the previous king that they'd gone, and Eclipse had made certain that none of those elves had survived the Hangma War.

Unless he'd made a mistake, and someone had talked

"We were speaking of Gelanor, my lord," he said quietly. "So, King Ophion has reason to believe that these renegade elves on the coast are his descendants. It is quite likely that they are – in which case, the throne belongs to them."

"That's the problem," Raenef said.

Eclipse sat up straight. "But it is not your problem, Master Raenef."

"Not unless I choose to make it mine, no."

He felt a worm of unease slide down his back. Keeping his voice neutral, he asked, "What did the elf-king offer you?"

Raenef gave him a look that managed to be both proud and uncertain. "Half of the timber rights for the next five hundred years."

"You don't need wealth," Eclipse said, hating himself for sounding so dismissive. The offer, if it was real, was extremely generous. He should be showering his master with praise rather than this easy condemnation.

Raenef smiled. "He said you'd say that. And he said I should reply, 'It's not about wealth, it's about power.'"

Eclipse showed his teeth. "So you are willing to be his puppet?"

"Eclipse…"

He backed down immediately, hanging his head and letting out a breath to diffuse his anger. "I'm sorry, master. It's just… I wish I'd been with you."

"But you weren't, and so I decided to help the elves."

"My lord?" Eclipse gaped at him in astonishment. "Tell me you're joking."

"No, I'm not." Raenef stared at Eclipse, his face flushed with emotion, his voice tight. "I want to help them. I want to do something good."

"Nothing good can come from dealing with the elves!"

"This is my decision, Eclipse." His tone was firm, his gaze unwavering.

Eclipse couldn't bring himself to murmur an agreement, not even when Raenef stared him down, waiting for it.

"It's not just the timber rights," his lord said. "Ophion also promised me full access to the magical knowledge of the new world elves."

Eclipse gave him a sharp look. "What?"

"They use a different kind of magic. Not one based on thoughts or incantations. That's why Ophion asked for my help. His best mages can't defeat this new elf magic. He says only a demon lord can overcome it."

"He wants to make you a sacrifice to his ambitions."

"I agreed, Eclipse. I gave my word. I will not break my promise!" Raenef's eyes sparked; but then his haughty tone dissolved as he gave the demon a plaintive look of appeal. "Besides, you will help me. King Ophion told me you would know what to do, since you'd been to the new world and felt its magic for yourself."

"He doesn't know what he's talking about."

"He is willing to offer you a full pardon and cancel all the bounties on your head. Eclipse, there are more than a hundred families who claim a blood feud with you! With one word, the debt will be wiped clear. Ophion promised it!"

Silence fell once more. Eclipse couldn't take this all in. For the elves to offer up their timber rights was one thing, but to cancel so many blood-debts? Elves were proud creatures, as implacable as a northern winter. Feuds lasted not just for generations but for all time, until they were settled in full. Ophion must be desperate indeed if he was willing to erase Eclipse's crimes against his people.

He glanced up as Raenef started to speak again. This time his master's voice was faltering and hesitant.

"I – I agreed to fight against the renegade elves because of you. I know you despise their kind, so I knew you would never go along with what they said. But I wanted to do it to – to keep you safe. Elvin assassins are very good, you know."

Eclipse stared at him. "They're not that good."

Raenef bit his lip and resumed fiddling with the loose thread on the blanket. "I can't take the risk. I can't lose you."

"Master Raenef, I wish I'd gone with you." Eclipse slid from the stool and knelt on the floor in front of his lord's chair. He reached up and took Raenef's hands, pressing them gently to make him listen and understand. "It's not your duty to care about me. I am just a servant."

"You are not!" Raenef pulled his hands free. He stared down at Eclipse, his eyes wide as the words tumbled from him in a rush of desperation. "You are more than that. Much more."

He came to a halt, his expression bewildered, as if he regretted what he'd said. With a sharp intake of breath, Raenef turned his head and squeezed his eyes shut. His brow furrowed, and his chin trembled slightly.

Eclipse shifted closer, hope flaring within him. "My lord?"

Raenef held up a hand, forbidding him to come any nearer. He did not speak again until Eclipse withdrew back to perch on the stool.

"There's something I must tell you," he began. He moved awkwardly in the chair until he could face the demon, and then he fell silent again. He plucked at the blanket, pleating its edge idly for a few moments.

The piled branches in the fireplace collapsed with a rush of flame.

Eclipse wondered what Raenef wanted to say. To reassure him, he said, "Nothing you tell me will surprise me, my lord. Remember, I know the elves."

Raenef's smile didn't quite reach his eyes. He drew the blanket higher over his knees and said, "Ophion gave me a companion, since you did not come with me. He said it was unthinkable that I should be alone. Truly, until he said that, I didn't realise how lonely I'd been without you. The journey was long, Eclipse. I – I should have asked you to come with me at least to the border…"

Eclipse interrupted with an exclamation for his own forgetfulness. "My lord, I'm sorry. I thought you would spell-cast yourself to the forest."

"But I couldn't do that. I had never been there before."

Eclipse looked away. He had failed in his duty, and he was ashamed. He should have accompanied Raenef to the wastelands before the forest, and he should have waited there for him to return. Instead he had set himself up in the role of the chatelaine, caring more for the outward manifestations of his lord's power than for the safety and comfort of his lord's person.

"Forgive me," he said, turning his gaze back to his master.

Raenef looked sidelong into the fire. The light gilded his features, making him seem as if he were carved from fine wax. The hollows of his eyes and cheekbones were smudged with a shadow that crept and slid over his face. Eclipse thought he'd never seen his master look more beautiful, nor more miserable. He had to know what had happened to him amongst the elves. His ignorance was tearing him apart.

"The king gave me a prince as my companion," Raenef said, his tone so flat Eclipse could barely recognise his voice. "Not an important prince, but he is twenty-third in line to the throne. His name is Tainaron, and he is Ophion's nephew."

Eclipse felt his heart thud painfully. He waited, silent, to hear more.

Raenef gave him a single, accusing look. "You never told me that elves are beautiful."

"You found this Tainaron beautiful?" Eclipse could taste the bile of jealousy on his tongue.

"Prince Tainaron," Raenef corrected. "Yes, I did."

He said it without emotion, as if they were discussing something far removed from their reality. Raenef could usually summon enthusiasm for almost anything. Even his dislikes were spoken of in strident terms. And yet he talked of Prince Tainaron without any show of feeling.

Eclipse sat forwards, his hands gripped tight together between his knees. He could feel himself shaking, afraid of asking the one question he wanted to hear answered. His mouth was dry; his voice died in his throat, forcing him to respond with only a tiny gasp.

Raenef continued. "Ophion told me that he had heard of my predilections."

Eclipse managed to speak. "Predilections?"

"My tastes, Eclipse. My… likings."

"Thank you, my lord; I am aware of what the word means. I don't understand why the elf-king said that, though."

Raenef smiled, but it was without humour. "Ophion then apologised for the fact that there were no princes with dark hair. He said there were plenty of tall, long-legged, broad-shouldered elves with a proud bearing and long hair, which is what he'd been told I liked, but there were none amongst his people who could boast raven-black hair. None who resembled a northern demon."

Eclipse drew a deep breath. "I see."

"Is that all you can say?" Raenef sat up in his chair, clearly surprised by his reaction. He blushed, his hands clenching and unclenching on the blanket. "Eclipse!" he cried, "King Ophion suggested that we were – that you… that I… I mean: it's ridiculous to even think it!"

The tiny flare of hope fizzled and died. "Yes, my lord. Absolutely ridiculous."

"Good." Raenef's voice shook. Eclipse supposed that his master had been outraged by the elf-king's innuendo, and yet he did not seem pleased by Eclipse's swift words of agreement. Indeed, when Raenef added, "I'm glad we have the same opinion. About how ridiculous it is, I mean," his expression seemed to suggest disappointment.

"And you told the king how ridiculous it was?"

"No."

The pinched look he'd seen yesterday returned. Raenef's face crumpled, but he caught himself, controlled his emotions. "You told me to use diplomacy. Ophion was testing me, you said. I didn't want to let you down. I want to be a great demon lord… the greatest demon lord. If I could form an alliance with the elves, the others would take notice of me. Diplomacy, you said. Use diplomacy…"

His heart in his mouth, Eclipse asked softly, "What did you do?"

Raenef looked away. "I… I accepted my companion."

Too late, Eclipse realised that his lord was acting oddly not because he was upset with something the elves had done, but because he felt guilty. And if he felt guilty, then he thought he'd done something wrong…

Eclipse was slow to catch onto the truth. It was unthinkable, too painful, and he didn't want to accept it. _Master Raenef had taken a lover. _An elf, a prince: a lover who was nothing more than a bribe to ensure his agreement to a treaty.

He was swamped by a lash of pain so great it was almost physical. If he could have warded it off, he would have done so, but Eclipse was defenceless against it. The jealousy he'd felt before was nothing compared to this. It stole his breath and his reason, leaving him with nothing. He felt as scoured and empty as a shell.

He realised that Raenef was gazing at him, one hand to his mouth in unhappy fear. "Are you angry?" his master asked. "Oh, Eclipse, are you disappointed?"

He knew he should deny it; that he should swallow the jealousy and reassure him with a smile that everything was all right; but it wasn't. Nothing would ever be all right again.

"Yes," he said, and his voice was so cold he could not recognise himself. "Yes, Master Raenef. I am angry, and I am disappointed."

He stood up and went towards the door, desperate to get away before he said anything else, before he lost control of his emotions completely.

As he reached the door, he heard a sound – a tiny, soft sob. Eclipse paused, turning back without knowing what he was doing.

"Eclipse!" Raenef pleaded.

He shook his head and fled the room.


	4. Chapter 4

Whenever he was required to give a matter serious thought, Eclipse would retreat to the kitchen and cook. This was a habit he'd developed over the centuries, ever since he'd realised he had a skill for baking. While the domesticated task was seen as being beneath most demons, it was something at which Eclipse excelled.

If anybody was foolish enough to mock his hobby, Eclipse would take a carving knife and sharpen it, drawing sparks from the blade. He would talk at length about butchery; how to truss and dress a carcase; how to tenderise the flesh. By the time he'd finished his calm monologue, the person who'd thought they'd been so witty would have turned as white as if they'd already been hung up to bleed dry.

These days, few people remarked on Eclipse's cooking. A few years ago it had been a source of amusement for Erutis and Chris, but that had been more nervous awe of the fact that a demon could create such wonderful dishes. Eclipse was not one to boast of his achievements, but he had won several awards of distinction for his food. Sometimes he thought that the squabbles between the other demon lords for his services were based more on the fact that he could bake the perfect cheesecake rather than the fact that he'd invented the Dark Arrow.

Apart from mealtimes, when he had a carefully planned menu prepared weeks in advance, Eclipse liked to experiment in the kitchen. Where Raenef IV had studied to increase his power through the use of incantations, Eclipse had learned the value of magic and food. He believed there was a direct correlation between food and temperament, and his cookery experiments had shown that certain dishes could induce different states of mind. With the addition of magic, these changes could be made more permanent. It was as simple – and yet as complex – as spellcasting to change the weather.

But none of this was what concerned him now. Eclipse had fled from the little sitting room in the tower to the kitchen, his place of sanctuary. Turning on the lights and firing up the ovens, he'd opened cupboards and drawers, clattering pots and pans to drown out the pulse of sorrow and anger that still consumed him.

He assembled a line of ingredients and stared at them blankly. Without being aware of what he was doing, he selected first one thing and then another, slipping into an automatic response to what he saw before him. He made lemon risotto, more for the mind-numbing repetition of adding stock and stirring rice for nearly half an hour than from any desire to eat.

Eclipse couldn't imagine wanting to eat anything again. Even though he was surrounded by the warmth and fragrance of food, wonderful comforting food, he felt detached from it. His stomach tightened in rejection just at the smell of it, and when he turned out the risotto onto a plate he stared at it in a wounded kind of wonder.

Master Raenef should be here eating this. His lord always made a beeline for the kitchen as soon as night fell. He would hop up onto the counter and swing his legs back and forth, ignoring Eclipse's growled comments to get down from there, and he would lean around Eclipse's shoulders to grab a taste of whatever was being mixed in the bowl. He was a trial, but one that Eclipse welcomed. It was a strange kind of pleasure he derived from seeing the contented expression on Raenef's face whenever his lord had eaten something that he, Eclipse, had made.

He placed a cover over the plate of risotto and turned to the remaining ingredients. As if to mock him, they suggested only one recipe: sugar-cakes.

Perhaps because he knew they were Raenef's favourite, Eclipse found himself thinking about his master too much as he measured and stirred and poured water and sugar over the heat to create long syrupy strands. Working quickly, he snatched the lengths of boiling sugar from the pan and, heedless of the stinging pain in his fingers, he plaited and spun the strands to make the abstract toppings for the cakes.

The reddening of his flesh balanced the dull ache of his heart. He knew enough about the ways of the elves to be aware of what must have happened to Raenef. For all their noble pretensions, elves were still barbaric creatures of the forest, little more than primitives. Even some human societies were more advanced than the elves. They were so rustic that any honoured guest visiting them for the first time would be assigned a companion. This elf would be chosen for their beauty and intelligence, and they would educate the visitor in the forest lifestyle.

They would also share their bed.

Eclipse cursed as he dropped a gleaming strand of sugar onto the floor. It snapped into pieces, and he crouched down to pick them up. His fingertips felt raw against the cold stone floor, and instinctively he curled them into a fist.

_Master Raenef had been bedded by an elf-prince_.

The thought wouldn't leave his head. Meruhesae's words came back to haunt him: he had to trust his master, she'd said. And he had trusted him, trusted him with his life, with his magic, with everything – except he'd never been able to admit his love, and in withholding that truth, he had failed to give Raenef his complete trust.

But how could he have spoken of his feelings? It was not uncommon for a demon lord to take a lover from amongst the ranks of his minions, but the impetus always had to come from the master, never from the servant. Eclipse could not tell Raenef how he felt. He was his teacher, and could not destroy the sacred bond of trust between mentor and student. He was not a seducer. He was noble and wise.

Except being noble and wise had got him nowhere.

Eclipse scooped up the broken pieces of sugar-strand and threw them away. He returned to his work, and soon a shining pile of nested cakes stood before him. He regretted his words to his lord – how could he be angry or disappointed at Raenef – and wished he could humble himself enough to take one of the sugar-cakes up to the sitting room in the tower.

But he had his pride, and it would take longer than a few hours for the jealousy to simmer down.

The kitchen door creaked open, and he felt a draught against his back. A pause, and then the door closed. Eclipse tried not to listen for footsteps, and he did not turn around. He didn't want to face his master now, too warm and too sticky from the cooking. Instead he concentrated on balancing the final sugar-cake on the top of the stack, a perfect pyramid display.

Raenef came close. "You made my favourite."

"I said I would." Eclipse closed his eyes, willing the pain to subside. When he looked up, his smile felt as brittle as spun sugar. "But perhaps you have a new favourite, now. Some exotic elf-dish to which I cannot compare."

Raenef shook his head, his gaze never leaving Eclipse's. "No. Their food is mostly quite boring," he said. "Wild boar, in fact, and a lot of fruit and vegetables. Honey, but no sugar. No sugar-cakes."

"I'm glad you remember the sugar-cakes so fondly." Eclipse pushed the plate towards him, and the topmost cake spilled down to land with a delicate crunch upon the counter.

Raenef ignored it, coming closer to him, his hand outstretched. "Eclipse…"

Without a word, the demon rescued the broken cake and replaced it on the top of the pile. He knew he was being unreasonable, but he couldn't help it. He'd felt fear and desire before, but this was the first time he'd experienced jealousy. Foolishly he'd thought it was an emotion that only afflicted humans and lesser species, such as elves. How the other demons and demon lords would laugh if they knew! The proud Eclipse, brought low by love for his own master…

Raenef plucked one half of the sugar-cake and held it in his fingers. "It's still warm," he said, cradling it. Looking fixedly at the cocoon of spun strands, he continued, "I want to talk about what happened between me and Tainaron."

Eclipse drew a swift breath. "No. You don't. Really, you don't."

"I want to talk about it."

"Master Raenef, you may do so – but I don't want to hear it. If you must talk about it, please go tell one of the Crusaders. Don't tell me, I beg you."

"I have to tell you. You're the only one who'll understand."

The note of pleading, the sound of unhappiness in Raenef's voice… Eclipse couldn't resist it. But he tried; for his peace of mind, he tried. Forcing a laugh, he asked, "Are you punishing me?"

Raenef put down the cake and looked at him directly. "Why would I do that?"

"Because I am an unfit servant. I allowed you to go to the elves without an escort. Regardless of the bounty on my head, I should have accompanied you."

"It doesn't matter now."

"It does matter, my lord!" Eclipse cried out, punching his fists down onto the counter. "You are not – you are not as you were when you left. You are different. You are changed. And it was not I who changed you."

Silence fell. Raenef stood motionless, staring at him. Eclipse could feel the weight of his gaze, but could not meet it. The moment became awkward, and then painful.

His master was the first to move. Raenef lifted the sugar-cake half and took a bite. The spun sugar crackled and crunched, and he let out an involuntary sigh.

Eclipse shuddered.

Raenef finished the cake and licked his fingers. It was an artless gesture, slow and thoughtful; and then he said, "You judged me without knowing the full facts."

Eclipse turned his head. "I don't need to know."

"You do!" Raenef was beside him, tugging at his sleeve until he turned to face him. His wide-eyed uncertainty contrasted with the sharp command in his voice. "Listen to me, Eclipse! I need you to understand!"

"I – Master Raenef, please…"

"Eclipse!"

Raenef caught at him, reaching up to frame his face with hands that trembled. Eclipse felt the sticky smear of sugar-syrup from Raenef's fingers brush across his cheek, and then those fingers tightened in his hair. Eclipse could not escape even if he'd wanted to, even if his master hadn't been holding him captive.

He smiled, feeling the pull as Raenef's hands closed tighter, holding him still. At first he thought that his lord would chastise him, but instead Raenef stared at him, his eyes losing focus as if he was looking inward.

Eclipse felt a faint stir of alarm. "Master, what are you doing?"

"Hush. The elves taught me this," Raenef said. "Look at me."

"I don't like elf-magic. Tell me what you're doing."

Raenef stepped closer, his expression determined. "Tainaron taught me the Mneme spell," he said. "If you won't listen to my explanations, then I'll just have to show you."

"The… Mneme spell?" Eclipse tried to break their eye contact, but found himself unable to move. "Lord Raenef, you shouldn't… The spell can only be used between bonded elves…"

"Not just them," Raenef whispered. "It works wherever there is trust."

It was magic that required a great deal of intimacy and a sure knowledge of the other person. The Mneme spell allowed a second person to telepathically receive the memory of an event witnessed by the first.

Eclipse had heard of the spell – Raenef IV had mused over devising a variant of it – but he had never experienced it before. It usually only worked between lovers or close family, people for whom sharing a memory would be pleasurable or useful, and until today, he'd believed it could only work between Elvin companions who'd formed a deep attachment.

His first thought was a jealous one – Raenef and Tainaron had obviously got a lot closer than he'd imagined – and then he felt his head spin and his eyes close as a heaviness descended upon him.

He was cast into an unfamiliar world, aware both of his physical body still standing in the kitchen but also of a whole separate reality opening up inside his mind – Raenef's memories.

Eclipse struggled against it. He didn't want to see this. The more he fought, the deeper he grew entangled, the grasp of memory forcing him to relive the experience through his lord's eyes.

He gasped as confused glimpses of faces, food, huts and trees flickered past him in a rush. It made him dizzy, and he reached out to steady himself. As he clung onto Raenef in reality, the memory steadied, and Eclipse found himself looking at a tall, slender, very beautiful elf.

Prince Tainaron smiled and said something he couldn't hear. Eclipse was glad that this memory had no sound. If only he could block out the sight, too.

The memory unravelled, gathering speed. He saw Tainaron sitting beside him, hands touching, lingering glances exchanged over cups of mead. He felt Raenef's response, shy and hesitant giving way to bold desire as the alcohol took effect.

Now he could taste the mead, feel it swing around his head as Raenef stumbled to his feet and, laughing, followed the elf-prince from the safety of the communal fire into the darkness of the forest.

Eclipse wanted to wrench free of the memory as his viewpoint lurched drunkenly, focusing on the ground, on a bed-roll laid out upon a blanket of fallen leaves, and then on Tainaron's face as he came closer and closer.

Tainaron kissed him. Eclipse shuddered at the sensation even as Raenef's memory quivered. _This is what it's like to be kissed_, was Raenef's thought; but Eclipse wanted to cry out to him that it wasn't right: it was a kiss full of empty desire; it wasn't done with love.

The memory became muddled, a swamp of emotion and drunkenness. He felt a touch on his body, the long, slow sweep of a caress as Tainaron took him in his arms. He felt the whisper of long hair over his skin. It tickled as the elf-prince stripped Raenef of his clothes.

Eclipse felt jealous rage gnaw at him, but he couldn't break the memory. It shouldn't have been Tainaron running his hands over Raenef's naked body – it should have been him. He should have acted long ago, admitted his desires and then begged to be set free of his servitude so they could love freely… but Raenef was his ward.

His heart dropped as the memory rolled on, showing Tainaron's laughing, handsome face leaning over Raenef. A flicker of a kiss pressed to his shoulder, and then a tantalising lick downwards. He felt Raenef's response, a buck and thrust, a soft groan of need. Raenef's memory went dark, and then an image formed: a familiar face, a scent he knew, a sense of completeness and unity.

He saw his master react to this image, and realised it wasn't Tainaron that prompted it. He had no reason for jealousy. Tainaron might have been the first man to lay with Raenef, but it wasn't Tainaron who made him come apart. It was…

_Eclipse!_

Responding to his name, Eclipse managed to wrench himself free of the memory. With a gasp, he fell back against the counter and put his hands over his face. He wished he could block out the things he'd seen, wished he didn't know how Tainaron had kissed and caressed Raenef – but what he'd seen at the end of the memory had changed everything.

"Eclipse?"

He looked up, pushing back his hair from his eyes. "Master?"

Raenef gazed at him wordlessly. His expression was open, hopeful and trusting. He looked as if he were about to cry.

Eclipse touched a hand to his forehead, trying to gather his thoughts. Still dizzy from the Mneme spell, reality felt unreal.

"You… thought about me," he said softly. "When you were with Tainaron, it wasn't him you imagined in your arms. It was me."

Slowly, Raenef nodded.

"My lord…" Eclipse couldn't find the words. He groped for them, knowing that Raenef needed him to say something, but he was helpless, caught off-guard between fear and love.

"I did it because I wanted to know what it was like," Raenef said. "Because he offered the one thing I'd always wanted from you."

Eclipse stared at him. "Always?"

Raenef blushed. "I fell in love with you when I was fifteen. I thought you knew that. Erutis and Chris knew it. Even Krayon knew it. But you didn't seem to care for me. My devoted servant. My loyal retainer. My teacher. I wanted you so much, and I couldn't have you. I – I didn't know how to…"

He broke off, confused. Taking a deep breath, he continued, "I thought that if I had experience, you wouldn't see me as a child any more. You would see me as someone different."

Eclipse knew he had to speak. As if language were unfamiliar to him, he said, "I couldn't tell you how I felt."

But Raenef paid him no attention, too caught up his own admission. "I thought you didn't love me. That you were only with me because of your duty. I know I drive you crazy. I know I have a long way to go before I become the greatest demon lord ever. Is it wrong to feel like this?"

"I couldn't act. It is forbidden," Eclipse said helplessly. "I…"

"I tried to tell you, but I could never find the right words." Raenef rushed on with his confession. "I thought you would reject me. You've always been so kind to me. But I wanted you to be the one to make the move. I wanted you to seduce me, and when you didn't, I knew I had to make you angry. Perhaps if I did that, you would know how I felt; what I'd been trying to say."

It was there that Raenef came to a halt, and there he waited, breathless, for a reaction.

Eclipse blinked. "You slept with an elf."

Raenef lifted his chin. "I thought of you. You, Eclipse."

"You said this wasn't a punishment."

"It's not. It's not!" Now Raenef looked angry, his eyes sparking. "Yes, I slept with Prince Tainaron," he said, "but I did it without love. It was a – an act of diplomacy. Didn't you always tell me that the end justifies the means?"

Eclipse smiled, and for the first time since his master had come home, he meant it. "Yes," he said. "I did say that."

"Well," said Raenef, his pride dissolving into bluster, "the end result is that I love you."

Eclipse bowed his head. "I am not deserving of your love, Master Raenef."

"Oh, but you are. If you cannot accept to be my equal, the way I've always wanted it, then at least agree to let me love you, even if you don't love me back."

"Is that an order, my lord?"

"No. I hoped…" Raenef glanced away, biting his lip.

"Hope is an emotion a demon lord should destroy. Love is an emotion a demon should not feel for his master." Eclipse paused. "I think we have both failed in our tasks."

He watched Raenef's expression go from bewilderment to delight. "You mean… Eclipse?"

He nodded, smiling, happiness unfurling within him. "Yes, Master Raenef."

Raenef flung his arms around Eclipse and kissed him: short and sweet, breaking away before it could get too impassioned. The kitchen was not the place for their first time. Eclipse was determined to do this properly from now on.

"Then you forgive me?" Raenef asked.

"Of course I do," said Eclipse contentedly. "There is nothing to forgive. After all, it was just an act of diplomacy – and Tainaron is only an elf. I have nothing to fear from an elf."

**end**

**Originally published in **_**Horizontal Mosaic**_** 13 (Blackfly Press)**


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